Breast Feeding: The gift of Antibodies

Today, Let's talk about an amazing gift that our mother gave to us!

An advertising slogan from the past claims that cow's milk is "Nature's most nearly perfect food". One could go a step further and assert that human milk is nature's perfect food for young humans. Clearly, it is loaded with essential nutrients, not to mention being available on demand from a readily portable, hygienic container that does not require refrigeration or warming. But there is another and perhaps even greater benefit. During lactation, the breast becomes a site for the proliferation of lymphocytes that produce IgA, a special class of antibody that protects the mucosal surfaces from local invasion by microbes. The very earliest secretion of the breast, a thin, yellow milk called colostrum, is very high in IgA. These antibodies form a protective coating in the gastrointestinal tract of a nursing infant that guards against infection by a number of enteric pathogens (E.coli, Salmonella, poliovirus, rotavirus). Protection at this level is especially critical because an infant's own IgA and natural intestinal barriers are not yet developed . As with immunity in utero, the necessary antibodies will be donated only if the mother herself has active immunity to the microbe through a prior infection or vaccination. 

In recent times, the ready availability of artificial formulas and the changing life-styles of women have reduces the incidence of breast feeding. Where adequate hygiene and medical care prevail, bottle-fed infants get through the critical period with few problems, because the foods given them are relatively sterile and they have received protection against some childhood infections in utero. Mothers in developing countries with untreated water supplies or poor medical services are strongly discouraged from using prepared formulas, because they can actually inoculate the baby's intestine with pathogens from the formula. Millions of neonates suffer from severe and life-threatening diarrhea that could have been prevented by the hygienic practice of nursing. 

Reference: Foundation in Microbiology 5th edition, Page: 469 Medical profiles